Many people spend more time in the kitchen than in the living room. While most people would rather stay on the couch, watching TV, it is true that the kitchen is one of the busiest areas of any household. There are more things to do in this room than on any other place in the house, and cooking is just the beginning of it.

Read further our Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide …

Sitting at a comfortable corner in your kitchen, right over your sink, is one of the core elements of this busy room: the faucet. While you wouldn’t normally think of it as anything other than a tool that releases water, you realize how many things you are capable of achieving because of your kitchen faucet. With its help, you can wash your hands, wash your ingredients, wash the dishes, fill in the fishbowl, and even bathe the baby. It’s an essential part of the kitchen that you simply can’t do without.

That is the very reason why you have to pick the best kitchen faucets right from the start. A decent one will provide you with several years of stress-free service, eventually becoming the heart of your kitchen.

But choosing the right faucet is much more complicated than it may first seem.

There are many factors to consider, and you will have to be familiar with most of these concepts before you spend your hard-earned money on one. Luckily, you have found a Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide that will walk you through it, and we are going to begin right away.

The Height Of A Faucet

We will start this Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide by asking one of the simplest questions that you will come across while buying a kitchen faucet: What is the height of the faucet that you need?

The height and the arc factor have many ways of affecting the water flow and the overall look of your kitchen. If your faucet is too tall, you may have trouble with too much water splashing onto your face when it hits the sink, instead of where you need it.

Conversely, a shorter faucet will give you trouble in cleaning larger pots and pans, so it is a good idea to survey what kind of activities you will be doing when the faucet is installed.

If you require a larger working space under the faucet, a higher one will be better for the job. These are typically 8-10 inches above the sink plane, and are more often used by culinary experts.

If you have low hanging cabinets that might hinder your faucet’s height, you may go for one with a short arc, which is usually 3-8 inches above the sink plane.

You may also consider looking at the proportion of your faucet in relation to the sink. A big sink will look awkward with a short faucet.

The Faucet Handles

Now since all faucets are mounted, you may be wondering what the term ‘handles’ are for. This actually refers to the amount of levers that come with the faucet. These can be found either attached close to the spout, or to the sides.

A single-handled kitchen faucet, also known as the one-handled, allows you to control the water’s temperature with just a single lever. You can turn it either left or right in order to get either warm or cold water. Adjusting it halfway gives you a mixture of both temperatures.

The advantage of this design is that it gives you easy control over the temperature. Most of the time, you will only have one hand free while cooking, so you will find it convenient to have a lever that adjusts the temperature with a simple turn. This design is generally easier to install. This is the reason many people opt for single-handled faucets.

On the other hand, two-handled models have their advantages too. The main difference is that it provides a separate lever for the two temperatures. You can use one to access warm water, while the other is used for cold.

It is important to note that two-handled faucets are a bit harder to install.

This is because you also have to check the number of holes in your sink, to make sure it matches with the faucet of your choice. For example, a two-handled one will not fit if your sink only has one hole.

Also we not recommend to drill additional holes into your sink. You need find one that looks good with your sink, and also fits perfectly.

The Spout and the Finish Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide

Choosing the right spout style is a matter of preference. It is the part where water flows, and it usually comes in either a straight or gooseneck style.

The straight spout is short and often inexpensive, so you may choose this if you are on a tighter budget. However, you may have to move it to the side, in order to fit a big pot under it.

A gooseneck spout will be much taller, but may cause splashing if you use it on a shallow sink. Other than the workspace it provides, it also looks much classier than the straight ones.

Meanwhile, the faucet’s finish was once an overlooked feature, which was dismissed as a simple, aesthetic choice. And while it does make a faucet look more attractive, it now also protects the model from scratches and other damage.

Examples of faucet finishes include brass, copper, nickel, gold-plated, matte, shiny, stainless, and chrome. Among these, chrome and stainless metal are some of the most durable. So other than making your kitchen prettier, these finishes can actually assure that your faucet serves you for a long time.

To Sum It Up in Our Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide

Who knew choosing a simple kitchen faucet could take so much energy? The reason you must think all of this through is because a great one could last a lifetime. You will not be dissatisfied by the performance of your faucet if it fits perfectly in your sink.

And by the time it is installed, you will see how great it can complement your kitchen. You will love going in there because of the hassle-free service of a decent kitchen faucet.

If after our Kitchen Faucet Buying Guide, you still have not made a choice, we recommend that you to use kitchen faucet reviews.